MISS AMERICA A LESSON IN ACHIEVING DREAMS

All weekend long, 7-year-old Kristal Bolden jabbered about Miss America coming to visit her school on Monday. Bolden's father was eager for Kristal to hear Angela Perez Baraquio's message that character counts.

Kristal, of course, wanted to see that famous crown.

On Monday, both got their wishes. During Baraquio's visit to An Achievable Dream Academy, Kristal learned how traits like honesty, perseverance, courage and responsibility could help her achieve her dreams. And afterward, she got to try on Miss America's rhinestone-studded crown.

"I looked good," she said, giggling.

Baraquio, a physical education teacher from Hawaii, came to town Monday as part of a national speaking tour that covers nearly 20,000 miles a month. She talked to three groups of students at An Achievable Dream about character education, or the need to emphasize good values along with academics in classrooms.

"Even if you get good grades, if you're not nice to people you're not really going to do much in life," she said. "We've got to teach our kids not only how to be smart, but how to be good people."

Baraquio, 25, met with a spirited audience. Many students sat with their mouths hanging open as they watched her sing, perform a hula dance and show off her crown. At the end of her speeches, they stood up and cheered wildly.

The students also threw some wild questions her way: Does Miss America have to be single? (yes); Are you rich? (no); Did you direct the movie, "Coming to America?" (no!); What did you like to do when you were little? (play on the beach with my nine siblings).

The daughter of Filipino immigrants, Baraquio had given up on beauty pageants and started a teaching career when two of her students told her they were afraid to try out for the basketball team. To encourage the girls, Baraquio told them how scared she had been to compete in pageants. The students began badgering her to try again.

"That's when I realized that I couldn't just talk the talk," Baraquio said. "If you don't try, you'll never know what you can do."

The two students went on to become co-captains of the basketball team, and last October, Baraquio became the first Asian-American to win the national pageant.

After hearing that story, 12-year-old Sheena Johnson said she's more determined than ever to become a lawyer.

"She had a hard time to become Miss America," Sheena said. "I might have a hard time, too, but that's OK."

Baraquio, wearing a short dark suit and a light green orchid tucked behind her right ear, gave students a list of six "Ds" to live by: Dare, dream and do, and desire, dedication and discipline. Schools can teach those values by integrating them into everyday life, she said.

For example, Baraquio gave a thumbs up to banners at An Achievable Dream that carry messages like "Be Friendly, It's the Road to Happiness" and "Think You Can, And You Can." She also liked that school administrators greet students with a firm handshake each morning.

"I want to be a principal some day," she said, "and I took tons of notes here."

Baraquio left the school in a white stretch limousine and planned to spend Monday at a Hampton hotel -- doing phone interviews and catching up on correspondence -- before flying to New York today.

The hardest part about being Miss America, she said, is the exhaustion that comes with so much traveling.

"You always have to be up and energetic, all the time, even when you're feeling tired," she said. "Sometimes, people don't realize that you're just human."

Many Achievable Dream students said Baraquio wasn't what they expected.

"I thought that was all just about beauty," said Brittany Stokes, 13. "I didn't know you had to go through so much, and be a good speaker."

Not that they weren't impressed with her looks.

"She had a beautiful smile," Brittany said. "It made you want to try hard to be good."

Alison Freehling can be reached at 247-4789 or by email at afreehling@dailypress.com